Insulated glove



Jan. 16, 1968 R. W. DUNMIRE INSULATED GLOVE Filed Feb. 25, 1965 NVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O 3,363,265 INSULATED GLVE Robert W. Dunmire, Coshocton, hio, assigner, by mesne assignments, to Becton, Dicmnson and Company, Rutherford, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 434,283 8 Claims. (Cl. 2-167) This invention relates to wearing apparel, particularly to insulated wearing apparel, and more particularly to insulated gloves having both high and low temperature resistance and capable of being manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Insulated clothing is generally manufactured to take advantage of the fact that air is a poor conductor. Thus, good insulating materials usually entrap air or reduce the flow of air through the material. Heavily napped and quilted fabrics, for example, are constructed with this in mind. Currently, flexible foams with open or closed cells are popular as insulating materials.

Unfortunately, such known materials have inherent disadvantages. The insulating fabrics compress under pressure and, after repeated use remain packed so that their insulation value is gradually reduced as they are used. Flexible foams resist permanent compaction or set, but the cells collapse under pressure and, although the cells reopen after the pressure is released, the insulation value suffers during the pressure cycle.

The present invention overcomes the inherent disadvantages of the known materials when used as insulation in wearing apparel, particularly when used for gloves, and yet provides a tiexible and well insulated piece of wearing apparel.

Briefly, the insulating material of the present invention is comprised of two flexible sheets, for example, fabric, each having a multitude of closely packed, short, relatively stiff fibers adhered to one surface. Portions of the bers extend from the surface of the sheet to which they are adhered to form a bristle-like surface. With the two sheets placed adjacent each other with their fiber covered surfaces opposed, the extending portions of the fibers of each sheet intermesh with each other. The fibers or bristles of each sheet reinforce each other and resist bending under load. The fibers therefore hold the sheets to which they are adhered in spaced relation to each other. Because of the construction, any load on each bristle or fiber will be applied through the ends of the fiber, into an essentially straight column.

Because the end force required to collapse a straight column is much greater than that required to collapse a bent column, the construction of the present invention resists collapsing under a compressive load to a relatively high degree. On the other hand, the bristles or fibers offer little resistance to flexing of the base fabric because each fiber is essentially anchored at only one point and to one fabric. Thus, the fibers themselves need not bend when the substrate is flexed. Furthermore, this construction strongly resists any tendency of the two sheets to slip with respect to each other, a property particularly important to the grip of a glove. Similarly, the friction between the bristles of each sheet or fabric tends to hold the two fabrics together, eliminating the necessity of bonding or sewing the two plys together, other than about the periphery. In particular, it is not necessary to bond or otherwise fasten together the two plys merely to facilitate handling during production, as is often necessary with other known constructions.

Advantageously, the insulating fabric of this invention may be constructed by coating a desired sheet of rnaterial, such as a fabric, with an adhesive material and flocking the coating with a quantity of suitable fibers or bristles that are relatively short and stiff and generally similar in length. Mirror images of the article of apparel are then cut from the flocked material and placed with the iiocked surfaces face-to-face. It has been found that the bristles hold the two parts together in the desired relationship during processing and prior to any subsequent step of permanently adhering the sheets together.

Other attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a plan view of a glove embodying an insulating fabric constructed in accordance with the present invention, the fabric being used to cover the palm, finger and thumb portions of the glove;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the glove shown in FIGURE l taken along the lines 2 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing two pieces of the fabric covered with bristles or fibers and separated from each other in overlying relationship;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the two sheets of fiber covered material after they have been placed in opposing relationship, schematically showing the manner in which the outwardly extending bristles of each material intermesh with each other to resist relative sliding motion between the two sheets of material and to adhere the two sheets of material together; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of a glove constructed in accordance with the present invention in which the two opposed pieces of fabric that form the insulating portion of a glove each form a portion of a separate glove, one being an outer casing and the other an insert.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown a glove indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 having a palm portion l2 and a back portion 13 (FIGURE 2). The glove also has a wrist portion 14, a thumb portion or stall l5 and a finger portion indicated generally at 16. The finger portion 16 includes index, middle, ring and fourth finger stalls 17, l, 19, Ztl. The wrist portion 14, shown, is a stretchable knit wrist, but may alternatively be any other of the various well known styles of glove, such as a gauntlet glove.

The palm portion 12 and the adjoining thumb portion i5 and finger portion 16 form a work area or surface of the glove 10. This work area portion forms an insulating cover for the hand.

As best shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the work area of the glove is formed of two pieces of cotton fabric or other suitable fabric 22 and 23. A multitude of bristlelike fibers 24 are adhered to and cover one surface of each piece of fabric. They may be adhered by a coating of any suitable adhesive; particularly advantageous is a coating 25 of an acrylic latex, which is applied to the fabric, covered with the fibers, and then cured to provide a relatively permanent adhesive bond between the fabric and the fibers. If desired, an outer coating of rubber or plastic may be applied to the other surface of one or both pieces of fabric.

The fibers 24 are adhered to the fabric 22 and 23 so that a portion of each fiber extends outwardly from the fabric substrate. Ideally, one end of each fiber will be adhered to the adhesive coating and the other end will extend substantially straight out therefrom, in a manner similar to conventional piling or the bristles of a brush. Advantageously, the fibers are relatively short, for example, on the order of an 1/8 inch long, and relatively small in diameter with respect to the length. In addition, the fibers should be relatively stiff, i.e., they should have a high section modulus, preferably be straight, and be generally of uniform length. The fibers or bristles 24 may be made of a variety of suitable materials, for example, nylon, rayon, or other synthetic or natural fibers V'having the above characteristics.

The work area of the glove 1t) is constructed of two pieces of fiber covered fabric 22, 23 placed in oppose-d relationship, one upon the other, with the ber covered sides facing each other. The two pieces of fabric are `placed in close juxtaposition so that the outwardly exin FIGURE 2, to present a more pleasing appearance and to protect the stitching. While the two pieces of fiber Vcovered fabric 22, 23 may be fastened together, as by stitching, prior to fastening the back portion 13 thereto,

it has been found that the intermeshed fibers 24 of each fabric maintain the two pieces of fabric in any'desired predisposed position during processing. Thus, only .a single stitching is required to fasten the two pieces of coated fabric 22, 23 and the back portion 13 together.

A second embodiment of a glove constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIGURE of the drawings. The glove of this embodiment is made of an outer casing and an insert 32. The outer casing 30 and the insert 32 are each a complete glove. Thus, the outercasing 30 includes a work area, similar to the first embodiment, formed of a cotton lfabric 34 having one surface covered with fibers 37, as previously described. AV

Vcotton fabric back portion 35 is fastened thereto, as by stitches 36. As shown in FIGURE 5, the outer casing 30 has been turned inside out so the stitches 36 appear on the inside of the glove. When so disposed, the inwardly facing surface of the work area of the glove is covered with fibers 37. Y

The insert 32 is also constructed with a cotton fabric 40 having one surface covered with fibers 37 and forming the work area of the insert. A cotton fabric back portion 41 is attached about the perimeter of the workV be first stitched together to forni a sub-assembly and the back portion may be then separately fastened.

In manufacturing the embodiment shown in FIGURE 5, the fiber covered fabric is prepared and cut in the same manner as just described, but two back portions are cut and each is separately stitched or otherwise fastened to one of the two mirror-image pieces of liber covered fabric. The fiber covered surface is on the outside. The fiber covered fabric and back portion forming the outer casing 36 of the glove is then turned inside out so the sur-V face to which the fibers are adhered is in facing relationship to the fiber covered surface of the insert 32 when the insert is placed Within the outer casing.

It will be evident from the above that while in the foregoing disclosure certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in l the yappended claims. For example, the material to which portion, as by stitches 42. As shown in FIGURE 5, the .v

insert 32 is preferably not turned inside out. The stitches 42 need not be protected and greater comfort is provided with the seams external to the insert. The outwardly facing surface of the fabric 40 has the fibers 37 adhered thereto. When the insert 32 is contained within the outer casing 30, the fibers of each piece of fabric interrnesh with each other to form an insulated work area. The spacing between the two fabrics 34 and 40 is maintained under all norm-al compressive forces to which the glove is subjected. In addition, the intermeshed fibers inhibit relative movement between the outer glove and the insert, thus overcoming a problem inherent to available gloves with inserts.

vIn manufacture, a sheet of flexible material, such as a j woven cotton fabric is coated on at least one surface with a suitable adhesive, for example, an acrylic latex. The coated surface is then flocked with suitable fibers of the type above described, and the adhesive coating is cured. In the manufacture of aglove, mirror images of each hand are then cut from the prepared material and placed face-to-face with each other with the flocked, i.e., fiber covered, surfaces in opposed relationship to each other. A suitable back portion is cut to shape and placed in overlying relationship with the two opposed pieces of fiocked fabric. The three pieces of fabric are then fastened ltogether about their overlying perimeters, as by stitching. If desired, the two pieces of docked fabric may the outwardly extending'fibers are adhered need not be a fabric in the sense of being woven or knitted of separate strands, but may be made from a sheet of plastic, rubber or other tiexible sheet-like material. Likewise, the back portion may be constructed of any suitable material'or may, if desired, be constructed in the same manner as the work area of the glove to afford overall insulation. If desired, the back portion need. not cover the entire hand. While in the preferred method of manufacturing the gloves embodying the present invention, an adhesive coated sheet of material is liocked with ,fibers of the desired characteristics, the glove itself is not limited to the utilization of fabrics or materials in which the outwardly extending fibers are so adhered. Rather, the glove may be made from other fabrics or sheet materials in whichV the outwardly extending fibers are otherwise fastened.

What is claimed is: 1. A glove, comprising: (a) a back portion; and

(b) an attached work surface including a palm, thumb K and linger portion, said work surface being formed (i) two adjacent pieces of flexible fabric each having a surface opposed to the other, one piece forming an inside member and the other piece forming an outside member,

(ii) an adhesive coating on the opposed surfaces of each piece of fabric,

(iii) a multitude of closely packed, relatively short, fibers of generally similar length adhered to the adhesive coating of each fabric andV hav,` ing outwardly extending ends to provide a bristle-like surface, and

(iv) the bristle-like opposed surfaces of the adand the fibers of each intermeshed with the jacent `fabrics being in contact with each other fibers of the other, v

(v) whereby the fabrics are essentially separatedk 3. The glove of claim 1 where the two fabrics of the n Work surface are adhered together about only the perimeters.

4. The glove of claim 3 wherein the two fabrics of the work surface are adhered by stitches.

S. The glove of claim 4 wherein the stitches adhering the two fabrics of the Work surface together also attach7 the'back portion to the work surface. Y

two flexible sheets, one forming an inside palm, iinger 5 and thumb surface and the other forming an outside palm, nger and thumb surface, said two sheets arranged opposite each other with inwardly facing opposed faces; a coating of adhesive covering each opposed face of the two sheets; and a multitude of short, stiff, fibers adhered directly to the adhesive of each face, said ibers having portions extending away from the respective face to which they are adhered, toward the opposite face and intermeshed with extending portions of bers of the opposite sheet to space the two sheets and to resist relative sliding of the sheets.

8. The hand covering of claim 7 wherein the sheet 6 forming the outside palm, nger and thumb surface includes a heat resistant exterior Work surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 674,913 5/1901 Fike 2-164 X 1,006,510 10/1911 Tabor 2-158 2,077,514 4/ 1937 Callahan 2-167 X 2,735,108 2/1956 Cremer 2-164 X 6/ 1964 Naimer.

FOREIGN PATENTS 488,809 7/1938 Great Britain.

l5 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GLOVE, COMPRISING: (A) A BACK PORTION; AND (B) AN ATTACHED WORK SURFACE INCLUDING A PALM, THUMB AND FINGER PORTION, SAID WORK SURFACE BEING FORMED OF: (I) TWO ADJACENT PIECES OF FLEXIBLE FABRIC EACH HAVING A SURFACE OPPOSED TO THE OTHER, ONE PIECE FORMING AN INSIDE MEMBER AND THE OTHER PEICE FORMING AN OUTSIDE MEMBER, (II) AN ADHESIVE COATING ON THE OPPOSED SURFACES OF EACH PIECE OF FABRIC, (III) A MULTITUDE OF CLOSELY PACKED, RELATIVELY SHORT, FIBERS OF GENERALLY SIMILAR LENGTH ADHERED TO THE ADHESIVE COATING OF EACH FABRIC AND HAVING OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ENDS TO PROVIDE A BRISTLE-LIKE SURFACE, AND (IV) THE BRISTLE-LIKE OPPOSED SURFACES OF THE ADJACENT FABRICS BEING IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE FIBERS OF EACH INTERMESHED WITH THE FIBERS OF THE OTHER, (V) WHEREBY THE FABRICS ARE ESSENTIALLY SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE AN INSULATING ZONE BUT MAINTAINED IN FIXED RELATION EACH TO THE OTHER BY THE FIBERS. 